1. Field
The present invention relates to a container, and in particular to a container suited for the transportation and/or storage of sheet items, particularly fragile delicate or non-uniform shape items such as, for example different sized vehicle windscreens or the like.
2. Related Art
Prior art containers are disclosed in for example EP1737764 and GB2408673. Such containers are particularly suited to shipping and storage of vehicle windscreens. Typically such containers are loaded with windscreens at a large centralised distribution centre and then shipped to a local depot or workshop for fitting as replacement windscreens.
Demand at the large centralised distribution centre is high and large containers are best suited to efficient loading. Containers are moved around the distribution centre between various locations where the appropriate selection of windscreens is ‘picked’ to demand, dependant upon the requirement at the local depot or workshop. Large containers full of windscreens selected to order can be easily accommodated at larger busier local depots or branches. However for smaller, less busy local depots or branches it would be preferable for smaller containers loaded with fewer windscreens to be shipped. An obvious solution would be for larger containers to be loaded with fewer containers. This would provide for inefficiency at the centralised distribution centre.
An improved container and handling or distribution procedure have now been devised.